# Customers at the USPS. You're too stupid to be an idiot. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 7, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787 "2014-02-07T20:53:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/21 "2014-02-12T03:28:22Z")
I used to do a lot of shipping and used the singleton machine a lot. When people were clearly over their head trying to save time by not standing in line…I would offer to help. I did that because USPS often puts people there who are on limited disability service to do the same thing, and, when they aren’t there, it speeds my day to help newbies speed theirs. Everybody wins. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/22 "2014-02-12T05:05:49Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > “Stop being fucking retarded!” I think you’ve hit on a bold new therapy. Let us know which talk shows you’ll be on, so we can get a taste of your “Just quit being mental” self-help approach to mental health, without having to pay for your weekend seminars. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/23 "2014-02-12T15:10:35Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I think you’ve hit on a bold new therapy. Let us know which talk shows you’ll be on, so we can get a taste of your “Just quit being mental” self-help approach to mental health, without having to pay for your weekend seminars. My first one is Dr. Phil airdate April 11th. “YOU have a problem. Stop being fucking retarded.” followed by 29 minutes of fielding questions from the audience with clever quips like, “Great question, Short Bus.” and “How do you take a shower without drowning?” and my personal favorite for some screeching yenta in the 3rd row, “Do you put TGIF on your shoes so you know toes go in first?” to which she indignately replied, “Hummph! I wear shoes on more than just Fridays.” You should watch it. People like you will be easily amused by the moving colors and sounds coming from the stories box. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/24 "2014-02-12T16:45:55Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > My first one is Dr. Phil airdate April 11th. > “YOU have a problem. Stop being fucking retarded.” followed by 29 minutes of fielding questions from the audience with clever quips like, “Great question, Short Bus.” and “How do you take a shower without drowning?” and my personal favorite for some screeching yenta in the 3rd row, “Do you put TGIF on your shoes so you know toes go in first?” to which she indignately replied, “Hummph! I wear shoes on more than just Fridays.” You should watch it. People like you will be easily amused by the moving colors and sounds coming from the stories box. I’d watch it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/25 "2014-02-12T17:34:08Z")
I’d be willing to cut people a little slack with the postal machines or store/grocery self-checkout because maybe they’re not completely intuitive the first time you use them. But, yes, some are also just stupid. What I can’t stand are people who have been in line for like 10 minutes or so at a fast food place or movie theater and don’t decide what they want to eat or see _until_ they get to the counter. WTF? I did have to once help one person holding up the line at a gas station who couldn’t figure out how to get the nozzle from the diesel pump to fit into the opening for the gas tank. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/26 "2014-02-12T17:59:18Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > I did have to once help one person holding up the line at a gas station who couldn’t figure out how to get the nozzle from the diesel pump to fit into the opening for the gas tank. Always good to have metal cutters on hand. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/27 "2014-02-12T18:26:28Z")
I always seem to get behind the woman who is in an agony over which stamps to buy from the one postal clerk who isn’t on his 3-hour coffee break. Do you have any with flowers? No? Are you sure? How about those cute Elvis stamps? Oh, that’s from a hundred years ago? But do you have any? Can I just look at every motherfucking stamp that you now have or have ever had in the motherfucking history of the postal fucking service? Okay, I’ll take three of those and five of those. . .no, make it six. . .and ten of those, cuz they go with my fucking drapes, lolz. . .no, just give me one of everything. . .okay, never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/28 "2014-02-12T18:55:42Z")
I’m going to go in a different direction here - I use the USPS machine all the time and it is stupid/fucking/ridiculous the number of screens you need to go through. I know what I’m doing and I still have to take it a little slow just to make sure I don’t choose the wrong option. But I’m someone who does everything online so I’m kinda good at this stuff. Pity the poor person who is not slick at this, the interface and options are a nightmare! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/29 "2014-02-18T22:25:33Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > You clearly did not read the OP. We are talking on the range of 10 minutes per person to ship a package. That’s not cut them some slack because they’re slow. That’s bring lunch and a good book because they’re glacial. How did it take you a whole four minutes? That’s a long time to make a choice and swipe your card. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/30 "2014-02-18T22:41:26Z")
Not everybody is as “skilled” as the OP at using automated machinery. And since most people rarely have to use the automated machines in post offices, this is really a “once a in while” non-issue, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/31 "2014-02-19T23:45:35Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > The ones who don’t know exactly what they want can go inside the fucking restaurant. That’s what it’s _for_. If that were true, there would be no outside menu. ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/32 "2014-02-20T14:50:05Z")
No sympathy for “slow” people here. I work with too many of these jackasses. All my sympathy is gone. MOVE your fucking ass. You’re an adult. Stop moving like your feet are stuck in cement with your stupid, deer-in-the-headlights expression and MOVE FASTER. Why in God’s name does it take you FOUR times as long to do something as anyone else? You’re not being methodical or exacting, you’re doing a shitty job and taking much, much longer to do it. Fuck you. …oh, sorry. Continue. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/33 "2014-02-20T20:40:20Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > I’m going to go in a different direction here - I use the USPS machine all the time and it is stupid/fucking/ridiculous the number of screens you need to go through. I know what I’m doing and I still have to take it a little slow just to make sure I don’t choose the wrong option. But I’m someone who does everything online so I’m kinda good at this stuff. Pity the poor person who is not slick at this, the interface and options are a nightmare! Right. When I first used it I had to read the menu a couple of times to make sure I made the right selection and a couple of times hade to cancel and start over. After a few uses I understood the menus and it was a breeze. If someone was struggling I offered to help. Hell I;ve had people who don’t read english all that well ask me to help them at the ATM. I find it better to help than call them retards and “get the F\*\*K out of the way.” ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/34 "2014-11-04T19:23:12Z")
Bump because of last Saturday. USPS staff story and not an idiot customer. I get there about 9:05am (they open at 9) and because I’m polite I go to the paperwork table to fill out my certified mail and return receipt before getting in line. I have a supply of these to do at home to fill out ahead of time but they’re buried in a box in the garage. While I’m filling out the forms a couple people get in line including an older gentleman. OK done with my forms and I get in line. Next up the older guy who wants to send something Certified Mail and has no clue what to do. No problem - we all had to learn once and my parents never took me to the Post Office to learn how to do it so my first time I was clueless too. I give him a pass. So the Post Office Lady hands him the CM slip and RR form. And then waits for him to laboriously fill out the CM slip. Then the RR form. Did I mention she was the only counter person working? And she refused to help anyone else out while waiting for him to finish. Like the next lady in line who simply needed to pick up a package? Six minutes for him to fill out the forms + the time for her to process the transaction. Serves me right for being polite and not filling out paperwork at the counter. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/35 "2014-11-04T19:32:05Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I always seem to get behind the woman who is in an agony over which stamps to buy from the one postal clerk who isn’t on his 3-hour coffee break. Do you have any with flowers? No? Are you sure? How about those cute Elvis stamps? Oh, that’s from a hundred years ago? But do you have any? Can I just look at every motherfucking stamp that you now have or have ever had in the motherfucking history of the postal fucking service? Okay, I’ll take three of those and five of those. . .no, make it six. . .and ten of those, cuz they go with my fucking drapes, lolz. . .no, just give me one of everything. . .okay, never mind. Oh and that was the lady in front of me after she got her package but it only took her like 90 seconds to decide on the stamps only to be informed that they were 70 cent stamps. So she chose again (pretty quickly) and then the USPS Glacier-Lady had to slooooooooooooly look through aaaaaaaaaaall the stamps at eeeeeeeeeeeeeach station to realize they were out of that stamp. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/36 "2014-11-04T22:16:08Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > The ones who don’t know exactly what they want can go inside the fucking restaurant. That’s what it’s _for_. Not an option when you’re getting fast food late at night and only the drive-up is open. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2014, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/37 "2014-11-04T22:28:28Z")
I’d rather go to the DMV than the Post Office. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/38 "2014-11-05T00:33:21Z")
I had to go to the PO last week. I left with the understanding that they’re called Forever stamps because that’s how long you need to wait to get some. :mad: I walked in there were 5 customers in front of me & no employee out front. As near as I can guess, based on what I heard him say when he came back out front, the customer was trying to get a passport & had pictures on his phone that the employee took in the back & put on the photocopier to try & ‘print’ but it wouldn’t work because the phone was too think to allow the cover of the copier to lay flat. He ended up leaving w/o getting whatever he came in for. The woman directly in front of me was air mailing one 5" x 8" envelope, & had her paperwork filled out, yet this txn still took 6+ minutes. My transaction took less than two minutes but I was in the building for over ½ hour. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/39 "2014-11-05T00:42:40Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > The woman directly in front of me was air mailing one 5" x 8" envelope, & had her paperwork filled out, yet this txn still took 6+ minutes. Texan? I am pretty sure that wouldn’t be a legal passport photo, even if it had worked, but that must have been a very unusually obliging post office employee to try it for him. (Or else, um, you really have no idea what was actually going on.) ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787/40 "2014-11-05T00:57:39Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > I had to go to the PO last week. I left with the understanding that they’re called Forever stamps because that’s how long you need to wait to get some. :mad: Is it POSSIBLE that our Post Office does something better than yours?? I certainly didn’t think it was possible. Can’t you buy stamps all over the place (e.g. at a drug store or grocery store) or do you have to go to the PO to get them? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customers-at-the-usps-youre-too-stupid-to-be-an-idiot/680787.md?page=3)